The Returner

Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the millions of monsters kneeling before him and felt this sense of emptiness.

‘So, this is the apex of true power….' (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

He lorded over these existences that surpa.s.sed humanity as if they were his underlings and conquered Berafe. He never thought that it'd be a difficult task. Because, he had done something similar back in the demon world already.

While ruling over countless monsters, he brought down the top creatures of that world called demon kings one at a time. No one born as a human had ever achieved such a feat before, and likely would never again.

However, Yi Ji-Hyuk didn't think of this fact as something to be bowled over.

‘Am I really a human?' (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Am I?

Can anyone call a man who won't die, a human being?

Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned toothily.

Humans feared those that couldn't die. In the west, such folks were called ‘highlanders' and were idolised, while in the east, they were referred to as ‘immortals' and were kept at an arm's length, even though they were ostensibly subjects of deep respect.

Meaning, they were treated as ‘non-human something else' just because they simply couldn't die, despite their lack of any other special traits. In that case, would people from the world he lived in think of him as a fellow human if they saw him today?

‘What a miracle that I'm not going crazy here.'

The confusion regarding his own ident.i.ty.

Just who or what determined whether one was a human or not?

Was it oneself, or the others….?

Even if one accepted the fact that he had become an existence that others couldn't refer to as human, what would happen when he still believed himself to be human, regardless? Shouldn't that person be human, then?

Yi Ji-Hyuk thought of it as an un-answerable dilemma. For sure, he couldn't find the right answer to this quandary during his past thousands of years.

He should've gone insane already, just like those mathematicians that went mad trying and failing to solve unsolvable equations. However, his unchanging body didn't even permit him that luxury.

What a funny thing that was.

He learned that soul existed for real, and got to understand that it was the most important thing for a human being; however, if the body was regenerated then the soul would be regenerated alongside as well.

Grrrr….

Yi Ji-Hyuk heard the low growlings of the monsters and raised his head. He yanked back the lengthy hood covering his head and growled menacingly, too.

"Sweep them all away." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Just one order.

An order that sounded rather ordinary, even.

However, the destructive force that single order unleashed was truly indescribable, utterly unstoppable.

Monsters all screeched and howled and roared at once, bared their vicious natures, and marched forward.

"Hmph." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

He knew very well that the location these cruel, vile monsters marched to was a gathering spot of human beings. Most likely, this march would bring about yet another ma.s.sive bloodbath.

‘What a bunch of morons.' (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

One could already see how crazy obstinate the religious fanatics could become in modern Earth. However, this world was literally filled with folks that unquestioningly believed in the various deities, and they made the modern world's fanatics look rather cute in comparison.

But then again….

Even in a world without any divinity whatsoever, people still gladly sacrificed their lives in the name of their G.o.ds, so he couldn't blame folks of this world for believing in the G.o.ds when there were divinity and miracles taking place everywhere.

That didn't mean Yi Ji-Hyuk liked what he saw, though.

‘They aren't even humans.' (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Maybe, only humans could stand tall and not retreat even when knowing their immediate demise was fast approaching. The nonsensical action of sacrificing oneself in the name of their G.o.ds could only be performed because one was a human being.

However, that's what made them less than humans in his eyes.

To wit, humans were existences than progressed forward by their own powers. That's what Yi Ji-Hyuk believed.

The difference between apes and humans was precisely that, ‘progress'.

Way back when humans were still primitive cavemen, they probably were not too different from the wild apes. However, humans progressed and developed, built up their culture and civilisation, discovering science and things like that. In only a few tens of thousands of years, no less.

However, humans of this world stayed exactly the same for the past tens of thousands of years. They ended up being stuck in a rut by not standing on their own two feet but relying solely on their chosen deities.

It was the same story even now.

Yi Ji-Hyuk never once tried to turn them into his enemies. No, he only told them to get out of his way.

The Eye of Latrel - that thing alone was his goal.

So, he threatened them.

He spoke to them.

And then, even frightened them.

He even tried to persuade them by saying that, if they opened up the path leading to Terra Latrel, not a single person would be harmed.

Even then, no one backed away.

"Morons." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

If the special trait of humanity was ‘progress', then the strongest point of humans was perhaps their rationality. No matter who saw this situation, they would realise that opening up the path for a little bit and pretending to not notice anything would be the most advantageous

The ‘martyrdom'.

That stupid belief of entering Latrel's embrace upon one's death stole away their reasoning.

Yi Ji-Hyuk was saddened and disgusted at the same time over their actions.

He felt saddened by these humans that didn't realise their own actual greatness and got kicked around by what was basically a bunch of d*mn reptiles. On the other hand, he felt utterly disgusted by them that tried to distance themselves away from all types of pain and suffering in the name of their faith.

"Nope, not humans." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Humans that have lost their self ident.i.ty, their independence, could no longer be called humans. That's what Yi Ji-Hyuk believed. So, these creatures trying to stop him were some things wearing human skin. That was all.

Being able to think like humans didn't mean one could be referred to as human.

Indeed.

Just like the current Yi Ji-Hyuk, in other words.

"Kekekeke." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Just like the current him couldn't be called a human even though he was born as one, the ones trying to hinder him couldn't be called humans, either. No, they were all some things pretending to be humans.

A pandemonium of death and destruction unfolded, one where a creature that was not human and creatures pretending to be humans were busy killing each other.

"Kekekeke."

Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled on like a madman.

‘I'd have gone insane a lot sooner.' (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Although he told himself he was still sane, how could he be sure about that? Sure, he might be endlessly regenerating, but what was the basis used to determine how much he had changed compared to the beginning?

He might have gone insane already.

No, he had gone insane probably a long time ago.

Without that explanation, he wouldn't be able to choose the option of leading an army of monsters to slaughter other humans.

Without that explanation, he wouldn't have been able to hypnotise himself that these weren't real humans, even though they clearly were, and unleash such an insane plan.

Yi Ji-Hyuk laughter grew hoa.r.s.e. Cackling laughter and spit rising up viciously from his throat shook his entire figure.

"Kill 'em all." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Those that hinder me.

Those that block me.

Kill every existence standing on the road to Terra Latrel and create a path. The road leading back to Earth lies in waiting for me there.

If someone were to ask me if the road leading back home was worth all the lives I took away in the process, then I shall reply like so.

Obviously.

He didn't care if he was recorded as the worst devil ever lived in the history books. Whether he was referred to as the slaughterer of the ma.s.ses or the history's worst egotistic destroyer, such a thing didn't matter one jot to Yi Ji-Hyuk.

To him, becoming a devil was hundreds, no, thousands of times more preferable than living for thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands - maybe even millions - of years in this h.e.l.lish place.

That was why….

"Kill 'em all." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Crimson light swirled within Yi Ji-Hyuk's eyes.

He would kill them all without leaving one behind. Again, and again. He would kill over and over again, to return to his world.

For that singular purpose, Yi Ji-Hyuk marched forward.

"Ahhhh-ahk!!"

"Kuwaaaahk!"

"Oh, dear Latrel……"

Soldiers quite obviously died in their droves.

Humans trying to stand in the way of the great monster army would never be able to survive. Didn't matter if people of this world possessed powers incomparably mightier than those of modern Earth, everything was meaningless when confronted by Yi Ji-Hyuk and his powers built up over the course of several thousand years.

Also, non-combatant humans were dying, too.

Monsters breached the fortress walls and invaded the village beyond.

Yi Ji-Hyuk witnessed that spectacle with his two eyes. Even those not offering resistance were swept away.

Adults, children, men, women….

The great monster army didn't discriminate one's age, gender nor race, and bestowed a truly fair sentence of death to all that stood before its unrelenting march.

Yi Ji-Hyuk leisurely followed after them.

"Uwaaaah!!"

Every now and then, there were those few who managed to break through the monsters to reach him.

In the eyes of others, they were super humans, or maybe, one of those brave warriors. Indeed, they were n.o.ble, great existences that exceeded the limitation of humanity despite being born as one.

Unfortunately, their ends were still the same.

The strain of Mana Yi Ji-Hyuk flicked from the tip of his fingers shattered and utterly disintegrated the creature once known as a human being, not even leaving a single cell behind.

Yi Ji-Hyuk observed that scene with disinterest, and while briefly thinking about how futile all of it was, continued to walk forward.

Blood, and ruins.

Those were the only things remaining after he pa.s.sed by.

Before long, many took to calling him the ‘One who brings forth the apocalypse'.

What a funny thing that was.

He never once wished for the destruction of this world. No, what he truly wanted was to disappear from this world, instead.

If they were truly fearful of the apocalypse he was allegedly bringing upon them, then everything would've been solved by handing over the Eye of Latrel and getting the h.e.l.l out of his way. But then, these fools continued rush in at him for the sake of martyrdom, the belief in the oh-so-n.o.ble religion propping up their bodies s.h.i.+vering in fear of him.

One would be hard-pressed to find a moment where humanity's contradiction was in such a stark display.

Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped past human blood on the ground and marched forward.

Not too long left until he reached Terra Latrel.

"………….."

He'd never get used to the moment of opening his eyes.

Only after confirming the Earth's air, which was slightly different from that of Berafe's, did he realise that him being here was no dream.

"Did you sleep well?" (Affeldrichae)

"….I had a nice dream. Sure." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

"It wasn't a nightmare?" (Affeldrichae)

"Nope, it was rather enjoyable." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

It'd been a bit better if only the creature right before his eyes didn't happen to be the one most capable of reminding him of Berafe in this whole freaking planet.

Affeldrichae gently stroked his cheek.

"But, you were screaming during your sleep." (Affeldrichae)

"It must've been my version of cheering." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

"What about your cold sweat?" (Affeldrichae)

"I guess it got a bit hot in here." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Affeldrichae looked at him with pitying eyes, prompting Yi Ji-Hyuk to retort back.

"Stop looking at me like that. If all those things I've killed so far were not humans but dragons, do you think you can continue to look at me in the same manner? I'm getting this compulsion to go out and hunt me some dragons just because I'm getting fed up of that look, you know?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

"You know how individualistic we are as a species, yet you still say such a thing?" (Affeldrichae)

"Being different species can be a pain sometimes. It's so b.l.o.o.d.y hard to understand you lot using my perspective." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

These creatures called dragons lacked the sense of fellows.h.i.+p, so much so that each of them could be called an individual species in their own right. h.e.l.l, even a parent and its offspring didn't share any special bond or anything like that, either.

And that was why Affeldrichae would never be able to understand Yi Ji-Hyuk in turn, too.

"It can't be helped." (Affeldrichae)

"I didn't say anything." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.

He then pushed away Affeldrichae embracing his head and raised his body up. His gaze drifted outside the windows. The beating rays of the sun was just about the same as Berafe's.

"It'd been nicer if your inside was as strong as your outside." (Affeldrichae)

"Are you implying that I'm a sensitive guy?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled and opened the door to leave the room.

"We're supposed to return to work today, so stop dilly-dallying." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

"Of course." (Affeldrichae)

Affeldrichae watched him go take a shower and sighed softly under her breath.

‘If only he had a little more time….' (Affeldrichae)

She couldn't fully determine whether the erosion of his body was affecting his mind, or his closely-guarded inside was being exposed as his body began deteriorating, but one thing was for certain - the ‘mirror' enveloping the existence called Yi Ji-Hyuk was shattering away piece by piece.

"Just a little bit more time….." (Affeldrichae)

Her voice sounded even more hollow than usual.

Fin.

(TL: Merry Christmas to you all, and happy holidays to those that don't adhere to Christianity.)

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